The Forum Hertfordshire

We want all students to have a great time at our Forum events and we're committed to ensuring the safety of our students at all time. We operate and manage the venue in a way that is safe and secure and the measures we've put in place include...

• Full risk assessment of all activity and fire evacuation strategy for the venue

• Working with SIA security guards that are trained and experienced in operating student venues. We work closely with our security team to ensure they're providing you with effective protection and we will challenge & deal with any behaviours drawn to our attention. We employ an external company to provide security for our events, and this is a long-standing and excellent relationship

• Full CCTV coverage of the venue is in place on all floors and stairs wells and operated by the university only. They will use this to help investigate incidents

Our Duty Manager(s) and security officers utilise body-worn cameras to support our efforts in keeping you safe and to help investigate incidents the following day. This footage is accessible by the Forum Management team only but will be shared with relevant university departments who are investigating incidents

• We've rolled out a training programme for our staff and security – that includes the Ask for Angela scheme, Active Bystander Training and Drug Awareness

• We provide medical support on nights out with a trained paramedic and/or first-aid trained staff

• We limit the number of guests and record their personal details to ensure the venue is safe for students

• We take a zero-tolerance approach to spiking. If you intend on spiking people, you are not welcome in our venue and shouldn't be part of this brilliant student community. Anyone caught spiking will receive a lifetime ban and they will be reported to the University & the Police

We have a zero tolerance towards any form of harassment and will receive a lifetime ban, as well as facing potential university and police action as well. If you are subject to any type of harassment, bullying or similar action, please report to a member of staff or security immediately

You can view our full Venue Safety Policy here

Please be aware of the following rules before attending the venue:

• Violence, threats, disrespect, harassment, or discrimination will not be tolerated to anyone in this venue (students, staff or security) and will result in a ban and potentially further action

• Drink to enjoy, not to excess. If you are deemed to be drinking to excess or irresponsibly you may be asked to leave. If you arrive drunk, you will not be allowed entry

• We have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs. If you are found to be under the influence in the venue you will be immediately removed. If you arrive under the influence you will not be allowed entry

• Smoking or vaping in the venue is not permitted

• Anybody trying to gain access without a valid ticket, impersonating another person, attempting to use a transferred ticket or trying to gain re-entry without consent will be subject to disciplinary action

• You must follow all safety procedures in the venue

• You must bring both your student ID and photographic ID to gain entry

• Being searched is a condition of entry. Non-compliance will result in non-entry

• Do not bring any prohibited items to the venue. We reserve the right to confiscate any prohibited items. Anyone found in possession of such items will be refused admission, ejected from the venue and may also be liable for prosecution

• No refunds will be given to customers who are refused admission due to possession of prohibited items

• The throwing of objects and vandalism will not be tolerated. If caught, this will result in a ban and potential disciplinary action

• There is a no re-entry policy in this venue. Once you have left, you cannot return

If you have been either been the victim of or witnessed someone else being subjected to any type of inappropriate behaviour by another student, please report this in the way that is most comfortable to you. We would always urge you to report this immediately but understand this is not always comfortable to do so. The different ways you can report this are as follows:

At the Event

Speak to a member of staff or a security officer inside the venue immediately. They will listen and provide the best and most appropriate level of support, including; speaking with you in a quiet and private space with a friend/partner for support, recording your statement on body-worn camera to aid with a subsequent investigation and removing anyone accused of any inappropriate behaviour

Following the Event

Should you not wish to report any incidents during an event, we would encourage you to report this to our management team at forummanagement@hertssu.com. The team will strive to reply to you as soon as possible and this will be raised with the SU Director of Operations to investigate and inform the relevant UH teams

Complaint About Staff or Security

You can raise this with the Duty Manager during the event although please be aware they will likely be busy and so you may need to be patient until they can meet with you. Please ask a member of staff or security if you wish to speak to the Duty Manager and they will radio for them. Alternatively, you can email forummanagement@hertssu.com and this will be investigated by the management team and SU Director of Operations as soon as possible

All reports are recorded internally by our Head Doorman and Duty Manager, and are accessible only by the Forum Management team, SU Director of Operations, SU CEO, UH Security Manager and UH Dean of Students. These reports are read the following morning and investigated collaboratively by these teams, with appropriate disciplinary action being taken against anyone who has committed an offence

Spotting the Signs

Symptoms depend on a lot of different factors such as the type and amount of the drug or alcohol used, if you are taking any medication, your age and body size. Symptoms can develop within 5-20 minutes and last for up to 12 hours. Key symptoms to look out for are:

• Lowered inhibitions

• Loss of balance

• Visual problems

• Confusion

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Unconsciousness

How to Help

What to do if you think a friend has been spiked:

• Tell a member of staff or security - they will notify our medical support

• Stay with them and keep talking to them

• Call an ambulance if their condition deteriorates

• Don’t let them go home on their own

• Don’t let them leave the venue with someone you don’t know or trust

• If possible, try and prevent them drinking more alcohol

Prevention

The most important step to take to prevent drink spiking is to not spike anybody's drink. The fault of drink spiking is always with the perpetrator

Safety Advice

• Before going out, let someone know where you're going and what time you expect to be home

• Never accept a drink from anyone you don't know or completely trust

• Don't share or exchange drinks

• Never leave your drink unattended

• Keep your drink in your hand instead of on a surface

• Keep an eye on your friends' drinks

• Stay with your friends

• If you begin to feel unwell or disoriented, seek help from a trusted friend, member of staff or security

• Make plans for your journey home with friends and don't leave without each other

• Utilise our partnership with AAA Taxi's whose app can track your friend's journey home

• Remember that if you've already been drinking, it may make you less aware of any danger

A Reminder & Clarification

• It is hard to tell if a drink has been spiked. Drugs are usually tasteless and have no smell or colour. If you feel unwell, uncomfortable or see someone acting suspiciously, please inform a member of staff or security who will notify our medical support

• No one should be subject to having something put in their drink if they haven’t asked for it. It is never ok. If you intend on spiking people, you are not welcome in our venue and shouldn’t be part of this brilliant student community. If you are caught, our venue policy is clear. You will receive a lifetime ban and you will be reported to the University and the Police

• The information we have used above regarding spiking has been provided by Drinkaware and Herts Police

Enhanced Safety Measures

We have introduced a number of enhanced measures to ensure the safety of students and guests in our venue:

• We have free bottle stoppers, cup toppers and drink testing kits available at each bar free of charge. Please ask a member of the team for these

• We conduct searches for those coming into the venue. We ask that you are patient as this means waiting a little longer in the queue. Our searches include bags, pockets and pat downs to ensure no prohibited items enter the venue

• Please only bring the things you need into the venue (i.e. keys, phone, money and personal items). We do not allow any liquids into the venue. You can view the full list of prohibited items in your pre-event email and on the Students' Union website

• We have CCTV cameras covering all floors, stair wells, external areas and bars.

• Management and security wear body worn cameras

• We continue to train our staff on safety, licensing and welfare

• We are in contact with the police on a regular basis to ensure we are up to date with crime prevention and we brief our staff accordingly

Support

• If you are ever in need of assistance, please notify a member of staff in a black t-shirt, or security in a yellow high-visibility jacket

• We also have a fully qualified medic on site to support in emergencies

• All staff in the venue have been trained on the 'Ask for Angela' scheme

Drink Responsibly

We want everyone to have a good time so we ask that you drink responsibly before and during the event. If you want to find out more info on drinking responsibly we have pulled together some links below:

• Drink Aware - check your unit consumption and advice if your struggling or have a friend struggling

• Hertfordshire County Council website on local support you can access

Please ensure you are familiar with our Event Terms & Conditions before purchasing a ticket or wristband to one of our events

You can view the full Conditions of Entry here

You can view the Ticket Terms & Conditions here

You can view the Terms & Conditions for HertsPass here